Ocean Temperature
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Why it matters: Oceans absorb 90% of excess heat. The 0.32°C rise may seem small, but it fuels stronger hurricanes, bleaches coral reefs, and disrupts marine ecosystems that provide food for billions.
Average ocean temperature anomaly (°C)
Source: NOAA
Glacier Mass Loss
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Why it matters: Mountain glaciers provide fresh water to billions. Their rapid melting threatens water supplies for agriculture, hydropower, and drinking water in many regions while contributing to sea level rise.
Cumulative mass balance (meters water equivalent)
Source: WGMS
Atmospheric Methane (CH4)
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Why it matters: Methane is 28x more potent than CO₂ at trapping heat over 100 years. Rising from agriculture, fossil fuels, and thawing permafrost, methane's rapid increase amplifies warming.
Concentration in parts per billion (ppb)
Source: NOAA
Renewable Energy
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Why it matters: This is the good news! Renewable energy capacity has grown 25x since 1990. Solar and wind are now the cheapest energy sources. This shows that climate solutions are scaling rapidly.
Global renewable capacity (GW)
Source: IRENA
Biodiversity Loss
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Why it matters: Wildlife populations have declined 59% since 1970. Biodiversity is essential for food security, medicine, clean water, and ecosystem stability. We're in the midst of Earth's sixth mass extinction.
Living Planet Index (1970 = 100)
Source: WWF
Drought Severity
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Why it matters: Droughts are getting longer and more severe. Water scarcity affects agriculture, causes food insecurity, forces migration, and increases wildfire risk in vulnerable regions.
Global land area affected (%)
Source: NOAA / NIDIS
Desertification
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Why it matters: Land degradation turns fertile soil into desert. Over 1 billion hectares degraded since 1960 reduces agricultural productivity, destroys ecosystems, and drives poverty and displacement.
Degraded land area (million hectares)
Source: UNCCD
Permafrost Thaw
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Why it matters: Thawing permafrost releases massive amounts of trapped methane and CO₂, creating a dangerous feedback loop. It also destabilizes infrastructure in Arctic regions and threatens communities.
Active layer thickness increase (cm)
Source: GTN-P
Heat Waves
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Why it matters: Heat waves are becoming more frequent, intense, and deadly. They cause heat-related deaths, crop failures, power outages, and strain emergency services—especially dangerous for vulnerable populations.
Annual number of major heatwave events
Source: WHO